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The Michigan Board of Education passed a resolution on a 5-2 vote recommending changes to proposed legislation that would place "failing" schools taken over by the Education Achievement Authority under the authority of the governor instead of the state board. Opponents of the bill disagree with allowing the new EAA to take over schools performing higher than the bottom 5 percent and exempt them from state testing. Proponents say the current system under the state board's control is not working and the bill would expand school choice.

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Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder's March 12 executive order ending the State Board of Education's authority over the School Reform Office violates the state Constitution, board members say. The governor's order moves the office into the Department of Technology, Management and Budget, which is under his control. Board members say the move subverts the authority of the board and the state school superintendent.

The South Carolina Board of Education assured teachers at its meeting last week that it won't use letter grades as part of a new evaluation system slated for 2014-15. The state's education department recommended a scale of A to F to "clearly communicate" a teacher's performance. However, educators propose a model that rates teachers as exemplary, satisfactory, needs improvement and unsatisfactory, and administrators as exemplary, proficient and needs improvement on various education goals.

Officials in a Massachusetts school district are considering a new policy that would limit the way teachers and students can use social media to interact. The goal is to ensure that any interaction on such sites is "in a safe and responsible manner." Under the proposed policy, teachers would be banned from communicating with students from a personal social media profile but would be allowed such interaction from a professional profile.

North Carolina's Board of Education agreed on Thursday to allow the Governor's School program for high-school students who are gifted to continue for its 50th year using funds provided by alumni and other private donors. "We realize this is for this summer only and we hope the General Assembly will reconsider and provide the funds for the Governor's School," said Bill Harrison, chairman of the state school board. The state legislature in 2011 eliminated funding for the program, which offers summer enrichment courses in language, math, music, science and other subjects.

Louisiana's teachers union says it will challenge a measure that would permit the state's public schools to potentially operate more like charters. The proposed law -- which awaited the governor's signature as of Friday -- would allow schools to seek waivers from adhering to some state regulations. Officials with the Louisiana Federation of Teachers say it improperly allows the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education to override legislators and decide which laws schools can follow.